The job search process can be daunting for many, but for Ryan Kahn, it’s his career.
Kahn, a Cal Poly alumnus, works as a Career Coach at Dream Careers, Inc. and is the star of MTV’s “Hired!,” a show that helps recent graduates land their dream jobs.
His message for current Cal Poly students looking to land a “dream job” is to “focus while applying for jobs and gain experience through internships.”
He said a common mistake people make when they aren’t getting interviews is posting their résumés everywhere online. He said when applying for jobs, you should focus on what you’re qualified for, and get familiar with the company. Even “liking” it on Facebook or following it on Twitter can be beneficial.
“I think what’s important when you’re applying is to really focus on companies and a position and go in full force,” Kahn said. “You’ll meet people who work there and build relationships with them. They hire people they’re comfortable with.”
Kahn’s other tip for current Cal Poly students was to get experience through internships. He said internships provide valuable experience, no matter your age or commitment level to a certain field.
“Internships are the best way to get your foot in the door and build relationships,” Kahn said. “If you keep in good relations, then by the time you graduate you will be first in line to get a job.”
While at Cal Poly, Kahn was a city and regional planning major and spent his freshman year in Trinity hall, and he said the relationships he made at Cal Poly helped him with his current career as a career coach. Kahn also said being a part of the fraternity Sigma Nu was a great experience and taught him how to be independent.
“(Cal Poly) was a great environment,” Kahn said. “I had a very hands-on major and got experience building life-long bonds. I’m still in touch with some of the friends I made there.”
Kahn also founded Rock Start, a charity that gives guitars to children who can’t afford them, and wrote “Hired! The Guide for the Recent Grad,” which has sample résumés, cover letters and more than 250 career tips.
Stefanie Jula, who worked as an extras wrangler and set production assistant on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises,” met Kahn in the summer of 2009, when she was going into her senior year at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. He was her career coach and helped her receive a paid internship with Broadcast Music, Inc., in Los Angeles. Jula said she’s bounced ideas off him and asked him for help with résumés ever since.
Jula also read Kahn’s book and took a few tips out of it. One tip that stuck with her was to find a mentor. So, Jula emailed a few major folks working on films in the Pittsburgh area to ask if they wanted to get coffee — her teat. She ended up being invited to “The Dark Knight Rises” movie set, and asked to work as a set production assistant the next day.
“I’ve put myself out there, keeping Kahn’s phrase ‘network is net worth’ in mind, and it’s helped me obtain a job in the industry,” Jula said. “It’s all about who you know, and how you impress them.”
Computer engineering sophomore Chase Voorhees, who recently got a job at Resnet on campus, agreed that networking is important. Voorhees said he got his job because contacts he knew recommended him for the position.
Besides networking, Kahn gave Jula many other tips that helped her land other jobs.
Kahn told her specifically about having a story or tag line that would stick in an employer’s memory. Jula said her last name is pronounced “Jewel-la,” so she created a business card with a picture of a sparkling diamond on the front and her name. The card reads “the hidden jewel to add a sparkle to your set,” with her contact information and experience on the back.
“It’s something unique that has gotten a neat response from various people in the film industry,” Jula said.
Kahn also told Jula that she should submit her résumé in a box. Jula brought this idea up in an informational interview with a unit production manager, someone who indirectly deals with hiring in the film industry, and they said it would certainly stand out to them.
Searching for your dream job can be a scary and stressful experience, but with the right tools and attitude, you too can land your “dream job.”